Sloan will hold sports analytics conference

MIT is known for many things — engineering, sciences, technology, having incredibly talented writers — but not particularly sports. Barring our recent, unprecedented success in basketball and the success we’ve had in less mainstream sports such as pistol, we’re still known as the land of numbers and more numbers.

The Sloan School of Management plans to change — or at least tweak — that perception.

Sloan will hold its fourth annual sports analytics conference on Saturday, March 6. Headliners include Mark Cuban, owner of the Dallas Mavericks; Bill Simmons, the famed Sports Guy from ESPN.com’s Page 2; Michael Lewis, author of The Blindside and Moneyball; Brian Burke, the General Manager of the Toronto Maple Leafs; Richard Gotham, president of the Boston Celtics; Buck Showalter, former MLB Manager and now ESPN analyst; Bill Polian, president of the Indianapolis Colts; Jonathan Kraft, president of the Kraft Group, which owns the New England Patriots; and Avery Johnson, ESPN analyst, former NBA champion and Coach of the Year for the Dallas Mavericks.

The idea behind the conference is that MIT, a place known for its fascination with mathematics, would “provide a forum to discuss the increasing role of analytics in the sports industry.” What better a place to discuss analytics of any industry than the world’s leader in analytics across the board?

Unfortunately, tickets are sold out for the star-studded conference. For those who are unable to attend, The Tech’s sports staff will be bringing back highlights from the conference. There will also be video clips of presentations and speeches at Sloan’s website.

The agenda is available at http://www.sloansportsconference.com/2010/agenda/.